Distillation apparatus



v. MOINTIRE Y I 1,733, 74?

DISTILLATION APPARATUS Filed 00 0. 19. 1922 s Sheets-Sheet 1 2 2A a *1 I L [men/M 5 Chm-Zea 10 425-0542;

Oct. 29, 1929. c. V. MclNTlRE 1,733,747

DI ST ILLATION APPARATUS I Filed Oct. 19. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 29, 1929. c. v. MCINTIRE 1,733,747

DI STILLATION APPARATUS Filed Oct. 19. 1922 s Sheets-Sheet a n 4 Fab/77' I G [mentor Hear/2 j Charles- Flue 2 Patented Oct. 29, 1929 ITED- I -*1.

CHARLES V. MCINTIRE,OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO CONSOLIDATIQN COAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION--03 DELAWARE DISTILLATION APPARATUS Application filed October 19, 1922. SeriaLNo. 595,490.

, withparticularityin the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of-my invention, however, and its advantages and specific objects attained with its use, reference should. be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which I have illustrated and described a preferred embodimentof my invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of which the portion to the left of the line X, is taken on the line 19-1 of Fig. 2, while the portion to the right of the. line X is taken on the line lA-lA of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation, the left hand portion ofwhich is taken on the broken line 22, and the right hand portion of which is taken on the line 2A2A of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the broken line 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional plan taken on the broken line 44 of Fig.- r

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, the. distillation apparatus comprises a series of vertical retorts A, and a series of vertical retorts A. The retorts A are arranged side by side, and each adjacent pair of retorts A is separated by a heating wall formed with a plurality of vertical heating flues B. The retorts A, which may be identical with the retortsA, are arranged side by side, and each adjacent pair of retorts A" are separated by a heating wall formed with vertical heatingiflues B; The retorts A are separated from-the-retorts A by. a wall formed with vertical.' .gas dis: tillation ofl-take flues C located one between each adjacent pair of retorts A and A.

The walls of the body portions of the retorts A and A are formed of fire brick, but each side wall of the upper portion of each of the retorts A and A, is advantageously formed of metal and in the preferred construction illustrated, comprises a-f se'ries of cast iron boxes or flues D of rectangular cross section stacked one on top of another. The boxes D are formed with portsto pass the spent heating gases entering the lowermost box D from the tops of the adjacent heating fines B through the masonry j-ports B, back and forth in a ziz zag passage to a corresponding outlet pipe vD connecting the uppermost box D to a flue or conduit E through" which products of combustion pass to a'suitable stack (not shown,) or other draft creating device. Advantageously also the lower portion of each retort side wall is formed, as shown, of castiron metal boxes or fiues F stacked one above the other, and formed with ports to provide a zig .zag passage through which air is supplied to the fiues B, to support combustion. The air passing through each set of boxes F enters the lowermost box from the atmosphere. through a damper. controlled inlet po'rtF, and; passes from the uppermost box- F through a masonry port G into a corresponding masonry channel G, which extends. beneath the adjacent heating wall and is provided with ports B opening .into the heating flues B above it. Fuel gas is sup-" plied to the bottom of each flue B, through a port B in the bottom wall of each flue and a corresponding gas supply pipe L, the upper end of which extends into the port B and the lower end of which is connected through a suitable regulating valve to the fuel gas supply piping L. j i v The lignite, or other material to'be distilled, is introduced in granular form'into the upper end of each retort A and A through a suitablyshap'ed conduit "H preferably formed of metal, and advantageously connected. ,to a hopper orconveyorsystem (not shown), in such manner as to keep the conduits H continuously filled with the material to be distilled. At the lowerendof each. of the retorts A and A I provide a rotating valve J regulating'the discharge of Y the solidresidue of the distillation operation into a conduit I which is advantageously connected at its lower end as shown, to the casing of a screw conveyor for carrying away the solid residue. As shown the various discharge valves J under the retorts A, are all driven from a shaft J and the discharge valves J under the retorts A are all driven by a shaft J. By suitably varying the rotative speeds of the shaft J" and J, the rate at which material to be distilled is passed through the various retorts from the hoppers 11 may be regulated as desired.

To facilitate the withdrawal of gases and vapor from the various retorts A and A, I

provide in the body portion of each retort,

a superimposed series of metallic parts 0 each in the form of an inverted trough, and provide a superimposed series of similarly shaped metallic parts P in the upper portion of each retort. The parts 0 are supported at their ends in seats formed for the purpose in the end walls of the corresponding retort. As shown the seat for the inner end of each part 0 is formed'by the wall of a masonry port C through which distillation gases rising beneath the part 0 pass 'into the gas off-take channel C. Advantageously the discharge ends of the port C have their under walls downwardly inclined to facilitate the escape of liquid carried by or formed by the condensation of the gases passing through the ports. The distillation products passing downwardly through the channels C are discharged through branch pipes R into a suitable take-ofi' conduitR. The masonry seats for the outer ends of the trough shaped parts 0; are advantageously formed by the walls of inspection and clean-out openings 0 in the outer masonry walls ofthe retort struc ture, these openings being normally closed by suitable doors T. The inner ends of the parts P are advantageously seated as shown, in recesses formed in the masonry, and their outer ends are seated in ports formed in corresponding. metallic conduits Q, I of which there are one for each retort. Each conduit Q is connected at its upper end to the stack.

flue E. Advantageously a damper Q, is provided to regulate the suction put on each conduit Q. I

Advantageously the heating flues B and the gas oflf-take flues C are formed with extensions B and C respectively, through the top Wall of the retort structure, which are normally closed at their upper ends, but which may be opened to permit inspection and cleaning operation when necessary. The retort structure as a whole may advantageously be mounted on supporting columns Y as shown. 7

The general method of operation of the apparatus disclosed will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The lignite or other material treated is supplied tothe tops of the retorts. as required to keep the retorts full, or

practically full, of material at all times. The

rate at. which-material is passed through the in which the parts P are located. The water 7 vapor and other vapors'and'gases driven out of the material in these portions of the retorts are of little or no value, and are discharged through the ports 0 and conduits Q to the stack. As the material moves downward past the parts 0 in the body portion of the retort, it heats up gradually to a maximum temperature which is attained at or near the level of the lower ends of the heating flues B. With the arrangement disclosed, the gases and vapors distilled out of the material in the body portion of the retort can escape freely and quickly from the highly heated portions of the retort. This minimizes the detrimental cracking of the hydrocarbons in the gases and vapors resulting from their exposure to relatively high temperatures. In a way also, the parts 0 serve as agitating devices to stir the material flowing past them and thus expedite the distillaspace beneath each trough part 0, the latter are made of considerable width, and the bodies of the retorts A and A are made wider than'the entrance and exit portions of the retorts.

As the solid residue .of the distillation process passes downward between the side walls formed by the air cooled boxes F, it is cooled to a temperature suitable for discharge past the valves J, and into the conveyor system K. The heat absorbed by the boxes F serves to preheat the air passing through those boxes to the flues B and thus adds to the heat economy of the apparatus. The heat absorbed b'y the incomingmaterial from the gases passing through the metallic boxes D minimizes the chimney heat loss and thereby augments the heat efficiency of the apparatus. The fact that the side walls of the retort chambers at their upper and lower ends are metallic facilitates the heat absorption by material distilled at the upper ends of the retorts and the cooling of the solid residue of'the distillation process at the lower ends of the retorts.

The general construction and arrangement ofthe distillation apparatus permits of a masonry retort construction in which suitin the retort chambers and in the heating flues which minimize leakage in either direction through the brick work joints or cracks which may develop in operation in the walls of the retort chambers. The described construction facilitates inspection, cleaning and repair operations as they become necessary from time to time. In case the material being distilled clogs between the walls of the retort chambers and the parts 0, the clogged material may be loosened and dislodged by the use of a suitable bent cleaner rod inserted through the adjacent cleanout opening 0 In case of fracture of one of the parts 0, it is a comparatively simple matter to remove enough of the outer wall of the retort chamber to permit the removal of the broken parts and the inserting of a new part in place.

While the apparatus disclosed is suitable for various uses, its comparative simplicity in construction and operation, and its inherently low initial cost of construction, especially adapts the apparatus for use in treating lignite at a maximum temperature of about 900F., to recover volatile by-products therefrom and to produce a solid residue of relatively high B. t. u. value and well adapted for briquetti'ng.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes I have illustrated and described the best forms of my invention now known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit of myinven'tion as set forth in the appended claims, and that certain features of my invention may sometimes be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. Distillation apparatus comprising a compact masonry body formed with a multipliity of spaced apart vertical retorts of relatively small horizontal cross-section and a plurality of separate vertical channels formed in the body parallel to said retorts and distributed in the portions thereof between the retorts,said bodybeing formed with ports connecting said retorts to some of said channels'whereby the latter are adapted to serve as oiitake fines for distillation gases evolved in the retorts, and means associated with the other channels whereby the latter serve as heating flues for the retorts.

2. Continuous distillation apparatus comprising a masonry body portion with a plurality of vertical retorts and heating flues at the sides of the retorts, chambered metallic structures forming the side walls of upper and lower end portions of the retorts and with the chamber space in said structures zontally elongated parts of inverted trough shape which extend across each retort at diiierent levels and are mounted at their ends in the masonry retort walls, thelatter being formed with ports through which the gases rising under said parts may escape from the retorts.

4. Continuous distillation apparatus comprising a masonry structure with vertical retort chambers, and with distillation ofitake fines at the inner sides of the retort chambers and with a plurality of ports at difl'erent levels connecting each retort chamber to an off-take flue, and with clean-out openings in the wall of each retort chamber opposite to that in which the said ports are formed, said openings being in horizontal alignment with said ports, metallic parts of inverted trough shape located in said retort chambers and having their ends seated in the Walls thereof with the trough cavity of each in alignment with a cleanout opening and a port.

5. Distillation apparatus comprising a masonry body formed with two rows of vertically disposed retorts and with fiued heating walls between the retorts in each row, and with distillation gas off-take flues in the walls between the two rows of retorts. and with ports connecting each retort with a corresponding off-take flue.

6. In a retort structure, the improvement which consists in a retort wall portion formed of horizontally disposed cast iron boxes stacked one on top of another and formed with registering ports connecting the interiors of said boxes to provide a zig zag flue passage through said boxes.

Signed at New York City, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 18th day of October A. D. 1922.

CHARLES V. MCINTIRE. 

